Two dominant guards in Drew Terkildsen and Bailey Rae Verhulst are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Philip Scotties will face off against the Harding County Ranchers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, Philip was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 67-63 to Freeman. The Scotties have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Drew Terkildsen
| 02/14/25 vs Freeman | 3 |
| 02/13/25 vs Lyman | 4 |
| 02/11/25 @ Jones County | 7 |
| 02/08/25 @ Highmore/Harrold | 3 |
| 02/03/25 vs Kadoka | 3 |
| 02/01/25 vs Sisseton | 3 |
Despite their defeat, Philip saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Terkildsen, who posted 18 points and three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Terkildsen is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in each of the last six games she's played. Fayth Martin was another key player, putting up ten points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Harding County put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. Everything went their way against Tiospaye Topa as Harding County made off with a 71-50 win. The Ranchers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine matches by 21 points or more this season.
Harding County's win came from a few key players Philip will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kamry Padden, who went 6-for-9 on her way to 16 points along with seven boards and four steals. Thanks to that strong game, she now owns an excellent 45.7% shooting accuracy. The team also got some help courtesy of Macey Wendt, who went 5-for-9 to rack up 10 points and five steals.
Harding County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 14 offensive boards in three consecutive games.
Harding County pushed their record up to 17-0 with the victory, which was their 17th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.8 points over those games. As for Philip, their loss dropped their record down to 9-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Philip has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Harding County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Philip came up short against Harding County when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 64-51. Can Philip avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
